Critic Reviews

• Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

  Colfer is still very young, but he needs to learn that "snide" is not a point of view.

• Sara Stewart, New York Post

  Ultimately, it all portends a much brighter future for Colfer than for Carson.

• Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times

  If only "Struck by Lightning" had a sharper, stronger perspective, it might have made more of its conceit.

• Stephen Holden, New York Times

  Except for Ms. Janney's monstrous mother and an Alzheimer's-afflicted grandmother (Polly Bergen), "Struck by Lightning" gives its characters no dimension.

• Ella Taylor, NPR

  There isn't much to say about Struck by Lightning, except that it's one of those interchangeable teen movies that lands in theaters in early January, the morgue for films nobody knows what to do with.

• Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

  In his screenwriting debut, Glee's gifted Chris Colfer, 22, proves he can lace a line with sass and soul.

• Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue.com

  The main character is more off-putting than endearing.

• Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media

  Edgy high school comedy from Glee star has some iffy stuff

• Ethan Alter, Television Without Pity

  Struck By Lightning possesses a jarring mixture of tones, with moments of dark comedy sitting somewhat uneasily alongside scenes of quiet domestic drama.

• Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

  It's not exactly ambitious, but Struck by Lightning is a noble failure, with individual elements more interesting than the strangled, distracted whole.

• Tasha Robinson, AV Club

  Lightning is a funny, fast-moving movie, packed with barbed one-liners, goofy hyperbole, and all the oversized exasperation of teen angst. But it's too acid, particularly where Colfer is concerned.

• David Noh, Film Journal International

  "Glee" favorite Chris Colfer wrote and stars in this particularly self-serving vehicle, the narcissism of which impedes the fun.

• Marc Mohan, Oregonian

  A decidedly uncertain step into feature films from an actor with a long career ahead of him.

• Annlee Ellingson, Paste Magazine

  Colfer here is aggressively smart and unrelentingly snarky. ... It's a smart move on his part ... showcasing his potential range as an actor and as a writer.

Read all 14 critic reviews